JESUS CHRIST

Jesus Christ is the Hero of our story. In fact all of history is His Story. Before the cross it tells us of humanity’s fall and of God’s ways of preparing us for the Savior to come. Then for a brief moment in time Jesus left His divine powers behind, took the plunge into earth’s pain and darkness, and lived in our midst, becoming forever united to our humanity. At the cross He single-handedly redeemed us. After the cross and His ascension history reveals His slow, patient way of redeeming humanity through us. It is easy to miss it: easy to look at the world and not see a Creator; easy to look at our history and not see His Story. Seeing Him changes everything.

Ministry to people in need may seem intimidating at first, due to the magnitude of their need and also to God’s high standards. Don’t let that stop you! Only certain aspects require extra training. Besides, a healthy realization of our own inadequacy makes us depend on God more. For the most part, all that’s needed is a pure heart and readiness to reach out to people who need help. Nonetheless, you have to be adequately equipped to withstand the tests…

I have never grown tired of this Bible reading plan. Best of all, I have never felt guilty that I was somehow falling behind. I pray and let the Spirit lead me at a pace that He sees is right for me. If this sounds right for you, why not try it? The great thing about this plan is that you cannot fail with it. You set the pace!

What is saving faith? Let’s listen closely to the shocking answer Jesus gave the rich, young ruler. He was a good kid—exactly the kind of person any church or synagogue would want. He always kept himself within the moral boundaries of the Law (“from my youth”), was a person of influence in the community, and was clearly serious about getting his life with God right (“What must I do to inherit eternal life?”). What’s not to like about him? In…

Ages ago Nehemiah declared that the joy of the Lord is our strength—and he was right! With this joy flowing in us, we positively glow and grow. Joy gives us a confidence for anything and puts a fresh song in our hearts. With it we sail over the normal obstacles of life, feeling invincible even in the midst of trouble. Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone…